Air conditioner heat transfer water tank and manufacturing process thereof

ABSTRACT

A heat transfer water tank adapted to an air conditioner and a manufacturing process thereof includes a cabinet containing a chamber; the cabinet includes a casing containing the chamber and provided on both sides each an opening; a sealing plate is fixed to seal up each opening; a sealing plate is disposed with a water inlet and a water outlet connecting through the chamber of the casing; the chamber is divided into multiple waterways by partitioning boards; on two opposite ends of any two abutted boards being each disposed with a water trough to permit waterways to be connected through one another; and a fin being provided in each waterway; the water upon entering from the water inlet passes each waterway before finally flowing out of the water outlet to enter into a next cycle; the water flow is given sufficient contact with the fin and the board to increase contact area and extend contact time for sufficient heat exchange to upgrade heat transfer efficiency.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a heat transfer water tank, and moreparticularly, to one that is adapted to an air conditioner and amanufacturing process thereof.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Thermoelectric air conditioners generally available in the market areprovided with a hollow cabinet containing a chamber, and a water inletand a water outlet connecting through the chamber. Some manufacturershave added a fin in the chamber to stabilize water flow and thus toenlarge contact area between water and the water tank and to extendcontact time. However, the water maintains higher flowing speed, i.e.,the contact time between water flow and cabinet of the water tankbecomes comparatively short. Consequently, the water upon entering fromthe water inlet fails to execute sufficient heat exchange with thecabinet of the water tank before directly flowing out of the wateroutlet in a shorter route. Therefore poor heat transfer compromises thegeneral heat transfer efficiency of the water tank to lower the heattransfer efficiency of the air conditioner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a heattransfer water tank adapted to an air conditioner with higher heattransfer efficiency and a manufacturing process thereof.

To achieve the purpose, a heat transfer water tank of the presentinvention is comprised of a cabinet containing a chamber; the cabinetincludes a casing containing the chamber and both sides of the casingare respectively provided with an opening; a sealing plate is fixed toseal up each opening; both ends of a sealing plate are disposed with awater inlet and a water outlet respectively connecting through thechamber of the casing; the chamber is divided into multiple waterwaysindependent from one other by means of multiple partitioning boards; ontwo opposite ends of any two abutted partitioning boards are eachdisposed with a water trough to permit those waterways are connectedthrough one another by a head and a tail of each waterway; and a fin isprovided in each waterway to stabilize water flow and disposedlengthwise along the waterway.

According to a structure described above, the partitioning boardindicates an arc and all partitioning boards are arranged in parallelwith one another and fixed at where between two opposite surfaces of thecabinet.

The section of the partitioning board indicates an “>” shape and allpartitioning boards are arranged in parallel with one another and fixedat where between two opposite surfaces of the cabinet.

Those partitioning boards are each inclined for a given angle, arrangedin parallel with one another and fixed at where between two oppositesurfaces of the cabinet.

The cabinet is coated on its outer surface an insulation heat transferlayer.

The fin is soldered and fixed at where between two opposite surfaces ofthe cabinet.

A process for manufacturing the heat transfer water tank adapted to theair conditioner is comprised of the following steps:

(1) An aluminum ingot is molded by extrusion into an integratedstructural form of a casing containing a chamber, having both sidesrespectively provided with an opening, and multiple partitioning boardsto divide the chamber of the casing into multiple waterways independentfrom one another;

(2) A water trough is milled at each opposite ends of any two abuttedpartitioning boards in the structural form;

(3) Both of the upper and the lower surfaces of the fin are coated witha solder and place laterally in each waterway of the structural form,the structural form is then heated up to a temperature allowingsoldering, a given pressure is applied on the surface of the structuralform to narrow down a distance between two surfaces of the structuralform thus to execute close contact with both of the upper and the lowersurfaces of the fin, and the structural form is left cooling down forthe fin to be soldered to where between both surfaces of the structuralform;

(4) Two sealing plates are respectively soldered to both openings on twosides of the casing while a water inlet and a water outlet are disposedat both ends of either sealing plate to complete the manufacturing of acabinet for the heat transfer water tank; and

(5) An insulation heat transfer layer is formed using a micro-arcoxidization (MAO) method on the outer surface of the cabinet of the heattransfer water tank.

In Step (1), a section of the partitioning board indicates a “>” shape,and all partitioning boards are arranged in parallel with one anotherand are fixed at where between two opposite surfaces of the casing.

In Step (3), the soldering temperature falls within a range of 580°C.˜620° C. and the distance between two surfaces of the structural formis narrowed down to a range of 0.1 mm˜0.3 mm.

When compared to the prior art, multiple partitioning boards are addedin the cabinet of the heat transfer water tank of the present inventionto divide the cabinet into multiple waterways; and a fin to stabilizewater flow is disposed in each waterway; and the water upon enteringfrom the water inlet passes each waterway arranged in an S shape beforefinally flowing out of the water outlet to enter into a next cycle.Therefore, the water flow achieves sufficient contact with walls of thefin and the partitioning board to increase contact area between waterand the heat transfer water tank, thus to extend contact time allowingsufficient heat exchange with the cabinet of the heat transfer watertank for upgrading heat transfer efficiency of the heat transfer watertank as a whole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a construction of a heat transferwater tank of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a construction of a local part of theheat transfer water tank of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a heat transfer water tank is comprised of a flat, sealedcabinet 1 containing a chamber; a water inlet 4 and a water outlet 5connecting through the chamber is disposed on the cabinet 1.

The cabinet 1 contains a casing 2 and two sealing plates 7 respectivelysealing up both ends of the casing 2; the casing 2 is provided with achamber with both sides respectively disposed with an opening. Multiplepartitioning boards 6 are disposed in the chamber of the casing 2; andthey arranged in parallel with one another and secured at where betweentwo opposite flat surfaces of the casing 2 to divide the chamber of thecasing 2 into multiple waterways 8 independent from one another. Thosepartitioning boards and the casing 2 are related to an integrated partextruded from an aluminum ingot. On two opposite ends of each abuttedtwo partitioning boards 6 are respectively disposed with a water trough9. Those water troughs 9 allow those waterways 8 in the cabinet 1 toconnect through one another in sequence by head and tail of eachwaterway 8. A fin 3 to stabilize water flow is disposed in each waterway8 and the fin 3 is provided lengthwise along the waterway 8 in a sizecorresponding to that of the space of the waterway 8. In the preferredembodiment, the fin 3 is related to a serrated fin (similar to thatdisclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. 200520077600.4 titled “HeatExchanger with Plate Fins), a straight fin or a porous fin (notillustrated). A water inlet 4 and a water outlet 5 are disposed on oneside of the cabinet 1 (to facilitate converging of water route of theair conditioner). The heat transfer water tank in the structuredescribed above allows water to flow from the water inlet 4 into thewater tank; pass through each and all waterways 8 in an S-shaped routeand flow out of the water outlet 5. Meanwhile, the water flow hassufficient contact with the fin 3 and the partitioning board 6 toenlarge contact area between the water and the water tank thus to extendcontact time permitting sufficient heat exchange between water and thecabinet of the water tank in upgrading heat transfer efficiency of thewater tank as a whole.

To manufacture the heat transfer water tank of the present invention, analuminum ingot is extruded into an integrated structural form comprisedof a casing containing a chamber with both sides respectively providedwith an opening and multiple partitioning boards. Wherein, a crosssection of each partitioning board 6 indicates a “>” shape; and thosepartitioning boards 6 are arranged in parallel with one another at wherebetween two surfaces of a casing 2 to divide the chamber of the casing 2into multiple waterways independent from one another. On opposite endsof any two abutted partitioning boards 6 are respectively a water trough9 by milling, i.e., a water trough is milled on one tail of apartitioning board while another water trough is milled on a head ofanother partitioning board abutted. Both of an upper surface and a lowersurface of the fin 3 are coated with solder and laterally placed in thewaterway 8 of the structural form, which is then heated up to a meltingtemperature allowing a soldering process in a range of 580° C.˜620° C.when the structural form starts to get soft; a given pressure is appliedto a surface of the structural form for a distance between two surfacesof the structural form to be narrowed down to 0.1 mm˜0.3 mm so to engageclose contact with both of the upper and the lower surfaces of the fin3; the structural form is left cooled to secured the fin 3 by solderingat where between two surfaces of the structural form. Two sealing plates7 are respectively soldered to both side openings of the casing 2, thewater inlet 4 and the water outlet are disposed on both ends of eithersealing plate 7 to complete the manufacturing of the cabinet 1. Finally,the cabinet 1 is formed on its outer surface an insulation heat transferlayer by using the micro-arc oxidization (MAO) method. Alternatively,the MAO method may be applied before soldering the sealing plates.

The section of the partitioning board 6 as indicating the “>” shape inthe preferred embodiment as described above may be made an arc; or thoseerected partitioning boards 6 are each inclined for a given angle;arranged in parallel with one another, and fixed at where between twosurfaces of the casing 2 to reduce resistance from the partitioningboard 6 against both opposite surfaces of the cabinet 1 when gettingcloser to each other under pressure.

1. A heat transfer water tank adapted to an air conditioner comprising a cabinet containing a chamber; the cabinet including a casing; the casing containing the chamber; both sides of the casing being respectively provided with an opening; a sealing plate is fixed to seal up each opening; both ends of a sealing plate are disposed with a water inlet and a water outlet respectively connecting through the chamber of the casing; the chamber is divided into multiple waterways independent from one other by means of multiple partitioning boards; on two opposite ends of any two abutted partitioning boards being each disposed with a water trough to permit those waterways to be connected through one another by a head and a tail of each waterway; and a fin being provided in each waterway to stabilize water flow and disposed lengthwise along the waterway.
 2. The heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of those partitioning boards has its section indicating an arc; all partitioning boards are arranged in parallel with one another and secured at where between two opposite surfaces of the casing.
 3. The heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of those partitioning boards has its section indicating a “>” shape; all partitioning boards are arranged in parallel with one another and secured at where between two opposite surfaces of the casing
 4. The heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of those partitioning boards is inclined at a given angle; arranged in parallel with one another and secured at where between two opposite surfaces of the cabinet.
 5. The heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulation heat transfer layer is formed on an outer surface of the cabinet.
 6. The heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claims 1 through 5, wherein the fin is soldered and secured at where between two opposite surfaces of the cabinet.
 7. A process for manufacturing the heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner comprising the following steps: (1) An aluminum ingot is molded by extrusion into an integrated structural form of a casing containing a chamber, having both sides respectively provided with an opening, and multiple partitioning boards to divide the chamber of the casing into multiple waterways independent from one another; (2) A water trough is milled at each opposite ends of any two abutted partitioning boards in the structural form; (3) Both of the upper and the lower surfaces of the fin are coated with a solder and place laterally in each waterway of the structural form, the structural form is then heated up to a temperature allowing soldering, a given pressure is applied on the surface of the structural form to narrow down a distance between two surfaces of the structural form thus to execute close contact with both of the upper and the lower surfaces of the fin, and the structural form is left cooling down for the fin to be soldered to where between both surfaces of the structural form; (4) Two sealing plates are respectively soldered to both openings on two sides of the casing while a water inlet and a water outlet are disposed at both ends of either sealing plate to complete the manufacturing of a cabinet for the heat transfer water tank; and (5) An insulation heat transfer layer is formed using a micro-arc oxidization (MAO) method on the outer surface of the cabinet of the heat transfer water tank.
 8. The process for manufacturing the heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of those partitioning boards has its section indicating a “>” shape; all partitioning boards are arranged in parallel with one another and secured at where between two opposite surfaces of the casing in Step (1).
 9. The process for manufacturing the heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 7, wherein the soldering temperature falls within a range of 580° C.˜620° C. in Step (3).
 10. The process for manufacturing the heat transfer water tank adapted to the air conditioner as claimed in claim 7, wherein a distance between two surfaces of the structural form is narrowed down to a range within 0.1 mm˜0.3 mm in Step (3). 